


the delay

by anon_drabble



Category: Mystic Messenger (Video Game)
Genre: Another Story (Mystic Messenger), F/M, Multi, jumin wins, request
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-15
Updated: 2019-01-15
Packaged: 2019-10-10 13:23:25
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,213
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17426690
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/anon_drabble/pseuds/anon_drabble
Summary: request from tumblr: "When I finished V's route I was so mad with V for running away for 2 years and leaving Jumin to clean all his mess. I thought my MC won't just sit and watch Jumin drown himself in alcohol while waiting for V to return. In short, can you write something with an MC who fell in love with Jumin during V's absence but couldn't approach him because she knew Jumin would never betray him and now he is back in the party she can't hold it anymore? Thanks!! "happy to do this one! i, personally, try to avoid the jumin-alcohol issue so this is more from jumin’s side and it doesn’t mention him drinking. he likely would but even v says jumin rarely drinks enough to get drunk and we know he doesn’t drink to escape. thank you for sending this one in and allowing me to work on it! (this really makes me want to write the same thing from v's perspective haha)





	the delay

**Author's Note:**

> originally posted on my tumblr: https://anon-drabble.tumblr.com  
> if you're able, i definitely recommend you visit the tumblr where i do reblog prompts and also post additional content like much shorter fluff pieces and headcanons.  
> i always accept requests ♥

The first time Jumin realized his feelings were changing was when he saw her cry. She’d been so strong, had never showed any sign of weakness yet. She’d been lured from her home under false pretenses. Found she was trapped in a cult’s headquarters. Forced to decide her loyalty between two groups of strangers. Had the unfortunate bad luck to fall in love with V, who still mourned and was trapped by Rika and his own guilt. She lost contact with the RFA, the group she’d rightly allied with, and watched V be tortured. Then was saved but remained in hiding in near isolation when Seven rescued her. Witnessed V being stabbed. The hacker that she insisted was actually a friend was gone, presumed dead. Rika tried one last time to take over the RFA party. Finally, on top of everything else, V walked away from this girl.

Until that point, she’d been strong. Optimistic at times. Foolishly so. Jumin had admired her for keeping her composure through it all. In a way, he felt closer to her for it. Because he, too, would never be permitted to display weakness. The RFA knew him as the stoic, robotic Jumin Han. To see her show similar qualities made Jumin feel closer to her. He hadn’t trusted her in the beginning. Even after V had asked them to. Jumin held a healthy amount of suspicion towards her. But she had proved herself. She was strong and though Rika had never shown her darker side to the RFA, MC seemed a good match for V as well.

And when V announced that he would leave and find himself, she remained strong. She agreed, told him she would wait. And then V was gone. Jumin allowed MC to stay with him, as her previous residence, the Mint Eye headquarters, had been destroyed. Jumin had plenty of room, after all. She accepted for her own reasons. When they spoke at first, she remained calm. The mask stayed in place and even Jumin was fooled.

It wasn’t until a while later when he saw her crying. Saw her sitting on the couch, head in her hands, sobs sounding in the almost-silent room. Elizabeth the Third was beside her, a comforting paw resting on MC’s lap. Jumin felt sympathy. He knew the struggle of internalizing everything. But he’d never been allowed to release it and didn’t even know how to at this point. So he watched her for a moment, feeling a stirring inside. Maybe it was wrong to think so but those tears were beautiful. The depths of her feelings that caused her sobs made her beautiful to Jumin. But she belonged to V. No, that wasn’t correct. She belonged to no one but herself but she and V held an understanding. One that Jumin couldn’t break. She did not belong to V but nor did Jumin hold any claim to her. He’d never admitted anything about Rika but now, his heart knew what it wanted.

Eventually, Jumin brought MC a handkerchief and a drink. She looked embarrassed to be seen crying but Jumin surprised her. He talked openly with her and invited her to share her thoughts. If anything, MC expected Jumin to shy away from such open conversations. But it helped MC to discuss everything. She released everything she’d been holding in. Jumin was honest with her and allowed her any questions, just as she answered any he had. But there was one question he dreaded and hoped she wouldn’t ask. But she did.

“When do you think he’ll be back? He will definitely come back, right, Jumin?”

Jumin didn’t have an answer for that. “I...don’t know,” he admitted. “I know V is the sort to always keep his promises, no matter how long it may take. I cannot guarantee, of course, but I believe he will be back. Someday.”

She remained silent for a moment, thinking over his words. It wasn’t entirely comforting. He knew about as much as she did at that point. “Should I wait?” she asked in a mere whisper.

The question shook Jumin. That was one he hadn’t anticipated and he didn’t want to answer. If he were entirely honest, the idea of waiting seemed foolish to him. But he’d never experienced love and didn’t know how it felt. “I’m afraid I can’t answer that. Only you can decide if you want to wait.” He watched her, watched as her eyes seemed to focus on his words, thinking things over. Her small hands wrung in her lap, the way a strand of hair fell over her eyes. Jumin was nearly reaching to brush it away when he realized. He stopped his hand, silently admonishing himself. No. He couldn’t.

She was not V’s but she could never be Jumin’s.

The threads tightened. For two years, they restricted him in nearly every way. He was exhausted. Pained. Always, always pretending. It was so much worse knowing how he felt. For whatever reason, MC remained with Jumin the entire time. In the beginning, she spoke about finding a place and leaving “soon”. But that “soon” never came and eventually, she stopped mentioning it. They spoke often and even became best friends. Jumin spoke to her more freely than he could with V but he was also more guarded. Because he had a secret and he could never reveal it to anyone. Because Jumin looked at MC without innocent eyes. He loved her, wanted her, coveted her. But V promised to return and MC promised to wait. So Jumin waited as well.

They thought their waiting would never end. But then he returned. V. He asked for MC right away. She went to meet him, Jumin watching her go, those suffocating threads making his hands shake with barely-restrained energy. _Grab her! Stop her! Kiss her! Keep her!_ No. He couldn’t. But how he wanted to.

Meeting V was awkward. She hadn’t seen him in two years. And he smiled so warmly when he saw her. She smiled, too, but couldn’t echo the exact sentiment.

“MC! I’m so glad to see you again.I thought of you every day. I’m sorry to make you wait. But I know I can’t go without you any longer. I’m ready. Ready to love you.”

She tried to smile. “I’m so happy for you, V. But… I can’t. Not now. Not anymore. I’m sorry. I think… I think part of me will always love you. But not the same way. Not anymore.”

V’s face fell and MC felt the grief tug at her heart. She’d never wanted to hurt him, of course. “I...see. I made you wait too long, didn’t I?” he asked, struggling to accept the news graciously.

She shook her head. “No. Well. Not entirely. I… I fell in love with someone else. And I realized. As much as I love you, it’s not the same. I won’t ever regret any of our time together. I wanted to help you and seeing you here now, healthy and smiling, it was a dream come true. I’m so, so happy knowing you’ve improved. I want to jump up and down and dance around. Really. But I can’t be the one for you now. The one I love… He’s different. It’s not how I feel about you. I-I always wanted you to be happy as long as you were true to yourself and doing what was best for you. But I have to do the same for myself.”

V nodded his head slowly. “I won’t pretend this doesn’t hurt. But you’re right. And you’ve helped me enough and I’ve learned and I can’t stand in your way. I want your happiness as well.” He took her hand in his and squeezed it. “May  borrow your strength one last time? I must move on. I must let you go.”

MC put her arms around V, hugging him tightly. “I’ll always be here to lend my strength to you. That won’t ever change.”

She spent a few more hours with V before returning to Jumin’s penthouse. Nervous energy filled her. Could she actually tell Jumin how she felt? Over the years, she knew she had come to love Jumin. But without finalizing things with V, she wouldn’t dare do anything about her feelings. Now she could finally try to change things between them. If Jumin might agree. She didn’t know if he had feelings for her but she’d soon know. She knew the chances of being rejected were great. Jumin valued friendship above nearly everything else. He wouldn’t betray a friend, especially not one as dear as V. That had been part of the reason she’d always hesitated. 

When Jumin heard the lock click and turn, he stood to face the door. MC walked in and his eyes desperately roamed over her, looking for any subtle changes. Disheveled hair, a hickey, ruffled clothes. Nothing looked out of the ordinary, for which he felt relief. “MC. I didn’t know to expect you back this evening.”

She blushed, feeling her heart beat faster at the sound of his voice. “Um, yeah. I just went to talk with him. To… Well. To end things. Officially, formally. I hurt him, though. But I had to. I… I only love him as a friend. There’s someone else that I have to tell I love,” she admitted, fidgeting shyly. Would Jumin get the hint?

The threads loosened when he heard that she had ended things with V. Why? But then she spoke of someone else. Another man? Yet another man she would choose above him? He felt his hands clench at his sides. He approached her rather quickly. “Someone else?” he demanded, struggling to keep his anger and hurt within him. “And what about those who feel things for you? Like V. You break his heart. How many others have you strung along like this?”

“Strung along? No, Jumin, you misunderstand. I just have to be honest with myself. Like I keep telling you about your dad. You have to be honest with him and tell him how uncomfortable you are when he dates so often.” She faced him, but felt her cheeks grow even warmer. “Jumin, we have to be honest with ourselves,” she said quietly, insistently, wanting to lean closer and kiss him. “I have to be honest. About my feelings. For you, Jumin.”

How he longed to silence her. To just grab her and render her unable to speak because her lips would be otherwise occupied. He was hurt that she hadn’t seen him and had drifted off to someone else. He wanted to claim her and keep her as his own but he didn’t dare hurt her in any way. But her insistence at being honest stirred him. Yes, he wanted to tell her. To make her understand. She was speaking softly but he didn’t hear, distracted. “MC, I love you,” he admitted as she spoke of her feelings for him. He reached up to cup her cheek. “I love you so much. I’m being honest with myself and you right now. And in the spirit of honesty, I must kiss you.” He leaned down before she could object, gently kissing her lips. He didn’t really feel her smile as he kissed her but he felt her put her arms around his neck. His hands slid easily along her waist, holding her close.

“Jumin,” she giggled softly, breaking the kiss but keeping her lips against his. “I love you, too. That’s what I was telling you. I love you, too.”

That time he heard her. It was him. Finally. He’d won. He wanted to celebrate but he felt drunk with the feeling of finally holding her in his arms. “Shhh,” he shushed her, the action of puckering his lips to make the sound renewing their kiss. “No more talking. Behave yourself as a woman in love,” he urged.

MC obeyed, hugging him tightly, letting him kiss her as he pleased. She easily accepted and returned his affections. Even as he led her to the bedroom. Even as he eased her back onto the bed. He finally released her and she sat at the edge of the bed, watching him. Her face was red. Could she really do this with Jumin? So soon? But was it truly that soon? She’d loved him for two years. Wanted nothing more than to give him her heart freely and openly. “Jumin,” she whispered, “Come here. Don’t let me go tonight.”

Jumin was already loosening his tie, gently tossing it aside. “I will never let you go, not for the rest of our lives. I will love you more with each breath I take and I will never let you forget it.” He leaned over her on the bed, taking her lips between his.

“Perfect. I want nothing and no one else.”

The time to talk would come in the morning. There would be much to discuss but right then, they were tired of waiting and holding back. Tired of the guilt and uncertainty. Nothing in life was ever certain and love might just as easily fade. There was risk in their actions but the regret in letting the chance slip them by would have been so much greater.


End file.
